George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four has been adapted into pretty much every form of media, so when the excellent Box Tale Soup, a theatre troupe famous for their use of puppets, came along, we were intrigued.
The classic dystopian tale is infamously dense and intense. The story of one man’s desperate attempt to make some sort of emotional connection whilst navigating a totalitarian nightmare is one that feels all too relevant and pressing to modern audiences. Nineteen Eighty-Four is a story of oppressive fascism, surveillance and deception, set in a bleak world in which hate is the only emotion permitted. One can only love Big Brother, an avatar of the state.
We had previously seen Box Tale Soup’s adaptation of the MR James ghost story Casting the Runes, which used puppets and actors to incredible effect. The same applies here; the puppets are used to describe the soul-grinding grimness of this fictional world. Our protagonist, Winston Smith, is rarely his true self, hiding behind a façade he has created to survive. This false self (represented by the puppet) is grim and sallow-faced. When the real Winston steps into the light, we see the slim shard of hope he has. All to be crushed by Big Brother.
One of the flaws with the source material is that it isn’t a particularly strong story; the message is what matters, the actual tale itself drags a little bit. Box Tale have abridged the story as best they can, and crucially kept in the elements that bring perspective and worldbuilding to the show. It’s the message that matters, rather than the minor details.
The staging and performances are astonishing. The core story is preserved and condensed, and much of the plot rests on the skills of three actors and a handful of props. It is an incredible feat of storytelling. Masterful and complete, this is an incredible take on Orwell’s original work.
You can find tickets for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe run here, and more about future shows here.
